The Portland daily press., 1887-08-26
MARYLAND INDEPENDENTS.
Mr.. John X. Cowan's Speech In the
Republican Convention.
A Man Who Believes In Reform With
a Club.
Democratic History Told by a sup
porter of the Platform.

BALTIMORE, Md, Aug. 24.-The following
is the full te1t of the speech delivered YES
terday in the Republican convention here.
by John K. Cowan, ESQ.,, representing the
independent Democrats:
II am on this platform to-day yery much
after the fashion OF an expert witness. You
want to know something of the Democratic
Beform under the present management in
Maryland. 1t no doubt seems curious for an
Independent Democrat like me to address a
Republican convention, but | want TO saw
for myself, as well as for the body of indie
pendent Democratic voters of the State. that
they propose to support, out and out. the
ticket you have nominated to-day. / know
well two of the men on that ticket The
platform of the regular Democrats declares
in favor of reform election laws. WHY. they
have been saying that for u years. There
has never been contested election case but
that the regular ticket was counted in. 1t
was Mr.. German who engineered the lOoting
of the ballot boxes, with Mr.. Raisin, his lieu
tenant. 1t was Mr.. German who brought Eu-
gene Higgins TO Howard County to forge the
ballots. Mr.. German had his lieutenants in
the Democratic Convention. His slim" Bur
ley and Fritz, Buckheimer were vice presi
dents of that convention. The Democrats
promised fair election laws in 1875 and 1879.
Inc Legislature elected upon the 1879 plat
form was as full Of promises as a mulberry
tree is OF fruit, and was not that Legislature
the most corrupt ever known? Are we to act
like children and rely upon their promises of
election reform forever? We have been fed
with the east wind of promises long
enough, They have taken the very peo-
and put them into Office. How can we
believe the professions of the conven-
ton when these very men sat in that cOnven-
ton? Measured by the standard of party
responsibility, the regular Democrats of this
State have been ia lse to all their promises
They have violated their pledges and reward
ed corruption with office. believe the way
10 reform party is with club. do not
believe in any rose-water business. You
don't expect me to indorse whatever your
platform may say on national issues. / am
true to the Democratic faith. You cannot
expect me to support your nationol candi-
dates. | shall retain my Democratic faith
just what that faith is / do not know. One
year 1t is free trade and the next year it is
protection. The platform recently adopted
by the Maryland Democrats files in the teeth
OF the national Democratic platform, and vi
plates every pledge made by President Cleve-
land. SO that, as party man, l stamp upon
that platform and spit upon it. The Demo-
cratic party has now chance to put Demo-
cratic promises into deeds before the elee-
tion. Many Independent Democrats believe
with me that if you nominate for mayor a
man like David l.. Bartlett or Major Aiexan-
der L. Shaw, he will be elected. You will
hear the cry of fraud, but don't mind it.
There is machine here called the Reform
League, which has landed 10 of their finest
birds in the penitentiary, and has got some
on the way to glory. We Independents will
give you enthusiastic encouragement. The
6, 200 majority which Cleveland received in
Baltimore ought to be swept out. l know
that in one of the most Democratic wards of
the city GOO independent Democratic voters
are pledged to support the Republican tick